In Pictures: 'My heart lies here'

While some consider leprosy an ancient disease, those with it are still stigmatized and resort to living in colonies.

It is perhaps one of the world's most misunderstood infectious diseases. Believed by many to be both incurable and highly contagious, leprosy is, in fact, neither.

If caught and treated early enough, disability can be averted. But if left untreated, it can cause progressive and permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 14 million leprosy patients have been cured in the past 20 years and four million since 2000.

But it has proved harder to eradicate the social stigma surrounding the disease. Many of those with the disease are shunned by their families and communities, and are forced to make a meagre living by begging. Some, in countries such as India where the disease remains endemic, move into colonies, where they construct homes from discarded scraps and often live out their lives with little contact with the families they left behind.

Janardan Yadaz was diagnosed with leprosy in 1978 and moved into the Ashapur colony in India. He has only been home once in the past 30 years. He says: "Ashapur is my home, my heart lies here."

The entrance to the Ashapur leprosy colony.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Residents often build their own homes in the colony.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

A resident of the Ashapur colony offers his morning prayers.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

This resident of the colony lives there with her 55-year-old mother.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

A resident with her breakfast.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Shyam Narayan Singh, 65, has lived at Ashapur for 16 years.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

After being diagnosed with leprosy in 1978, Ashapur resident Janardan Yadaz, says he made a living by begging at (***)ghats(***) or holy places, along the Ganges River. Now he says he has found a sense of belonging in the colony.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Members of the colony prepare food for fellow residents. They have all found a community with each other.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Ashapur(***)s swami and manager Ramesh Chandre Srivastav, and the caretaker Upadai return from a tea break.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Srivastav and Upadai help a resident clean his wounds and change his bandages.

After developing cataracts in both eyes, Baran Umarao became completely blind. This didn(***)t prevent him from being a productive member of Ashapur. He has since passed away, but his morning routine was always to rise at 3am, brew tea for the residents and scrub the hallway in the living area.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Lallan has lived at Ashapur for 25 years. He no longer has leprosy, but insists on staying at the colony. (***)This is my family now,(***) he says.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Gita, 55, and her daughter, both live in the Ashapur community.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Residents walk around the colony at the end of the day.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

The entrance to the Ashapur leprosy colony.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Residents often build their own homes in the colony.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

A resident of the Ashapur colony offers his morning prayers.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

This resident of the colony lives there with her 55-year-old mother.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

A resident with her breakfast.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Shyam Narayan Singh, 65, has lived at Ashapur for 16 years.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

After being diagnosed with leprosy in 1978, Ashapur resident Janardan Yadaz, says he made a living by begging at (***)ghats(***) or holy places, along the Ganges River. Now he says he has found a sense of belonging in the colony.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Members of the colony prepare food for fellow residents. They have all found a community with each other.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Ashapur(***)s swami and manager Ramesh Chandre Srivastav, and the caretaker Upadai return from a tea break.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Srivastav and Upadai help a resident clean his wounds and change his bandages.

After developing cataracts in both eyes, Baran Umarao became completely blind. This didn(***)t prevent him from being a productive member of Ashapur. He has since passed away, but his morning routine was always to rise at 3am, brew tea for the residents and scrub the hallway in the living area.

Yan Seiler/Al Jazeera

Lallan has lived at Ashapur for 25 years. He no longer has leprosy, but insists on staying at the colony. (***)This is my family now,(***) he says.